MikeLigalig.com

Published by the Bohol Standard

In a radio interview, Department of Public Works and Highways Under Secretary Manuel Bonoan revealed that the real issue in the city drainage controversy is not the illegal tapping of sewerage pipes into the new canals designed for storm or rainwaters only.

“The question here is that if the drainage becomes operational and the outfall is opened, is the water treatment facility ready as it was assured before,” Usec Bonoan asked.

The Usec’s statements vindicated provincial legislators have raised the issue of the city drainage system to their level rather than stay as silent observers.

Board members Yul Lopez and Ae Damalerio, both representing the first district where Tagbilaran City belongs, have been the object of City Mayor Dan Lim’s tirades after the provincial board committees on health, public works and environment jointly discussed the drainage problem with Department of Public Works and Highways officials, the Environment Management Bureau, the Environment Legal Assistance Center and non-government organizations.

Mayor Lim accused the provincial board members of interfering in the city affairs and allegedly is just “politicking”.

He recalled that this city drainage was not among the programmed works of the Bohol Circumferential Road Improvement Project (BCRIP-2), which covered concreting of the main city road CPG Avenue.

“This drainage was a request of local officials and we at the Public Works department walked an extra mile in finding sources of funds to accede to the request,” Usec Bonoan said.

“There is no need for buck-passing here. DPWH can plug those illegal tapping if the city empowers us to do so, through a resolution, since these connections are within the jurisdiction of the local city government. That we can do, no question about that,” he assured.

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